OF  THE 

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REPORTS 


IN  RELATION  TO  TIIE 

ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER 

TO  BOSTON, 


gittb  %  gu t  of  %  legislature  to  mute  saib  fofmt  mtb  Citg. 


BOSTON: 

ALFRED  MUDGE  &  SON,  CITY  PRINTERS,  34  SCHOOL  STREET. 

1  8  6  9. 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


os 


Executive  Department,  City  Hall, 
Boston,  March  1,  1869. 

To  the  City  Council  of  the  City  of  Boston  : 

I  have  the  honor  herewith  to  transmit  to  you  the  very  able 
and  comprehensive  report  of  the  Commissioners  appointed  on 
the  thirty-first  of  December,  1868,  to  consider  and  report  to  the 
City  Council  on  the  subject  of  annexing  a  portion  or  the  whole 
of  the  territory  of  Dorchester  to  the  City  of  Boston ;  and  recom¬ 
mend  it  to  your  early  and  favorable  consideration. 

NATH’L  B.  SHURTLEFF,  Mayor. 


( 

u 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


In  Common  Council,  Dec.  10,  1868. 

Whereas,  In  the  opinion  of  the  City  Council,  it  has  become 
necessary,  in  order  to  complete  the  system  of  drainage  and  har¬ 
bor  improvements,  which  have  been  devised  for  the  benefit  of 
Boston  by  the  various  commissions  which  have  had,  and  now 
have  these  subjects  in  charge,  to  annex  a  portion  or  the  whole 
of  the  town  of  Dorchester  to  the  City  of  Boston. 

Ordered ,  That  His  Honor  the  Mayor  be  requested  to  appoint 
a  Commission  of  three  discreet  and  intelligent  persons,  who 
shall  carefully  examine  the  subject,  in  all  its  financial,  industrial, 
and  sanitary  relations,  cause  such  surveys  to  be  made  by  the 
City  Surveyor,  or  under  his  direction,  as  they  may  consider  nec¬ 
essary,  and  report  the  result  of  their  doings,  with  such  sugges¬ 
tions  as  they  may  think  proper,  to  the  City  Council,  as  soon  as 
may  be. 

A  true  copy  of  order  passed  by  City  Council,  Dec.  22,  1868. 

Attest : 


S.  F.  McCLEARY,  City  Cleric. 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


d 


The  Commissioners  appointed  by  His  Honor  the  Mayor  in 
pursuance  of  the  foregoing  order,  respectfully  submit  their 

REPORT. 

To  the  City  Council  of  Boston: 

PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

In  1 867,  during  the  Mayoralty  of  the  Hon.  Otis  Norcross,  the 
subject  of  the  annexation  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  was  brought 
to  the  notice  of  the  City  Government,  and  a  Board  of  Commis¬ 
sioners  appointed  to  confer  with  Commissioners  on  the  part  of 
that  town.  In  that  instance,  the  movement  originated  with 
citizens  of  Dorchester.  In  the  present  instance,  it  proceeds 
from  the  City  Council.  That  Commission  was  unable  to  arrive 
at  any  dehnite  conclusions  with  respect  to  the  subject-matter 
submitted  to  them,  except  that,  after  expressing  the  opinion 
that  it  may  become  desirable,  if  not  necessary,  at  some  early  day 
to  annex  a  portion  at  least  of  the  town  of  Dorchester,  in  order 
to  complete  the  elaborate  system  of  drainage  and  harbor 
improvement,  which  has  been  devised  for  the  benefit  of  Boston, 
u  they  recommended  a  reference  of  the  whole  subject  of  this  and 
future  annexations  of  territory  to  the  City,  to  a  Commission  to 
be  created  by  the  Legislature.”  No  action  was  taken  by  the 
City  Council  on  this  recommendation,  and  none  by  the  General 
Court,  and  the  net  result  is,  the  loss  of  a  year’s  time  in  the 
accomplishment  of  this  desirable  public  improvement. 


6 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


Your  Commissioners  have  carefully  considered  the  subject 
intrusted  to  them.  Assisted  by  an  accurate  map  of  Dorchester, 
made  by  the  City  Surveyor,  showing  its  boundaries,  water-shed, 
harbor  and  river  lines  and  streets,  they  have  personally  exam¬ 
ined  the  territory.  They  have  also  held  frequent  conferences 
with  an  intelligent  Committee,  appointed  by  citizens  of  that  town 
upon  the  bearings  of  this  proposed  annexation,  upon  the  sepa¬ 
rate  interests  committed  to  their  charge.  The  substance  of 
these  opinions,  together  with  much  statistical  information  upon 
the  financial,  industrial,  and  sanitary  condition  of  the  town,  will 
be  found  embodied  in  this  report. 

BAD  EFFECTS  OF  PAST  NEGLECT. 

It  has  been  the  misfortune  of  the  City  of  Boston,  hitherto,  to 
be  governed  by  necessity,  rather  than  choice,  in  the  improve¬ 
ments  which  the  advancing  tide  of  business  and  population  has 
rendered  essential  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  its  citizens. 
Its  peninsular  situation,  and  the  conformation  of  its  territory 
interposed,  at  the  beginning,  natural  obstacles  to  the  adoption 
of  a  uniform  system  of  streets  and  squares,  in  which  the  ele¬ 
ment  of  space  should  have  due  consideration. 

Nor  was  there  any  effort  made  during  its  early  history  to 
surmount  these  obstacles.  The  old  thoroughfares,  which  nature 
had  in  part  provided,  supplemented  by  narrow  cross  streets  and 
lanes,  were  considered  sufficient  for  the  uses  of  those  days,  but 
they  served  to  fix  the  boundaries  of  estates,  and  thus,  unfortu¬ 
nately,  entailed  upon  succeeding  generations  the  difficult  and 
costly  labor  of  adapting  them  to  the  uses  of  an  overflowing  pop¬ 
ulation.  A  large  part  of  this  expense  has  fallen  to  our  lot,  un¬ 
der  circumstances,  in  the  financial  condition  of  the  country,  that 
aggravate  the  difficulty,  and  greatly  increase  the  cost  of  every 
new  undertaking. 

We  have  before  us,  at  the  present  time,  in  the  widening  of 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


7 


several  of  our  public  streets,  a  conspicuous  illustration  of  the 
truth  of  this  statement. 

The  founders  of  the  city  were,  in  most  things,  sagacious 
and  far-sighted  men ;  but  they  seem  to  have  been  sadly  deficient 
in  the  first  duty  of  their  time :  the  laying  out  of  its  streets 
and  squares  upon  some  regular  plan,  which  would  have  simply 
required  extension  to  meet  the  demands  of  increasing  numbers. 

In  this  respect  we  may  be  thought  wiser  than  our  fathers,  but 
there  is  danger  that  we  may  render  ourselves  liable  to  the 
charge  of  a  similar  short-sightedness. 

THE  GREAT  INCREASE  OF  POPULATION. 

The  multiplication  of  our  population  by  an  increasing  ratio 
is  a  mathematical  certainty.  We  cannot  close  our  eyes  to  the 
fact,  nor  can  we  avoid  the  immediate  responsibility  it  imposes 
upon  us,  to  make  a  wise  and  timely  provision  for  its  future  wel¬ 
fare.  Looking  at  the  present  population  of  the  city — which 
may  be  roughly  estimated  at  240,000  —  and  adopting  the  ratio 
of  increase  between  the  years  1855  and  1865  as  a  basis  of  cal¬ 
culation,  it  is  apparent  that  we  shall  have,  at  the  end  of  the 
next  decade,  1880,  without  accessions  from  suburban  cities  or 
towns,  a  population  of  rising  300,000;  in  1890,  on  the  same 
ratio,  360,000  and  upwards;  in  1900,450,000.  Such  a  popu¬ 
lation  cannot  be  compressed  within  the  existing  limits  of  the 
city.  Some  portions  of  it  may  find  accommodation  on  the 
Back  Bay,  but  a  greater  part  will  be  obliged  —  if  desirous  of 
enjoying  its  privileges  —  to  occupy  South  Boston  or  the  High¬ 
lands.  The  Back  Bay  territory  is  limited,  and  will  continue  to 
be  occupied,  for  a  considerable  time  at  least,  by  the  more 
wealthy  class  of  our  citizens. 

South  Boston,  with  its  prospective  extended  area  of  filled 
land,  it  is  generally  conceded,  is  to  become  the  seat  of  exten¬ 
sive  manufacturing  industries,  as  also  of  the  freighting  business 


8 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


for  the  railroads  on  the  south  side  of  the  city,  which  is  estimated 
to  require  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  filled  land. 
The  Highlands  are  left,  then,  as  the  only  territory  on  .that  side 
of  the  city  proper  accessible  to  persons  who  prefer  to  remain 
within  its  limits,  and  yet  wish  to  avail  themselves  of  the  better 
sanitary  conditions  of  the  suburbs.  The  importance  of  retain¬ 
ing  the  industrial  classes  of  our  community  within  the  city 
limits  cannot  be  over  estimated.  An  industrious,  intelligent  me¬ 
chanic,  who  has  a  family,  and  is  laboring  to  place  his  children 
in  a  better  position  than  he  has  been  able  to  attain,  is  a  most 
valuable  man  in  any  community.  To  retain  such  men  we  must 
be  able  to  give  them  land  at  moderate  prices.  They  will  al¬ 
ways  remain  in  the  city  if  they  can  live  as  cheaply  and  com¬ 
fortably  as  elsewhere,  not  only  because  the  interests  of  their 
labor  are  here,  but  because  of  its  better  facilities  of  education, 
recreation,  libraries,  and  other  advantages  which  the  metropolis 
affords.  The  money  invested  in  building  up  compact  villages  in 
the  near  suburbs  should  be  applied  within  the  limits  of  the  city, 
thus  retaining  the  population  and  wealth  now  lost,  and  adding 
to  its  character,  wealth,  numbers  and  virtue.  The  amount  of 
Boston  capital  invested  in  real  estate  in  the  cities  of  New  York 
and  Chicago,  not  to  mention  numerous  other  localities,  is  esti¬ 
mated  to  reach  millions  of  dollars.  This  capital  should  be 
employed  here,  but  will  not  be  so  long  as  Boston  maintains  its 
present  contracted  limits.  It  is  apparent  to  the  most  casual 
observer  that  there  is  not  sufficient  room  for  the  middling  and 
laboring  classes,  and  if  the  present  state  of  things  should  be 
permitted  to  continue,  the  city  will  ultimately  be  left  to  the  care 
of  the  very  rich  and  the  very  poor. 

The  wants  of  business  in  the  city  proper  continually  encroach 
upon  the  habitations  of  the  people.  The  removal  of  Fort  Hill 
for  business  purposes,  and  the  still  more  recent  demand  for 
eight  acres  of  land  north  of  Causeway  Street,  for  the  accom¬ 
modation  of  the  business  of  the  Eastern  and  Lowell  Railroads, 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


9 


thus  depriving  seven  hundred  and  nineteen  families  and  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  four  thousand  people  of  their  homes,  are  remarkable 
illustrations  of  the  truth  of  this  proposition.  This  population 
may  not  itself  seek  homes  beyond  the  present  limits  of  the  city, 
but  it  displaces,  of  necessity,  another  class  of  inhabitants  which 
the  city  cannot  alford  to  lose,  and  which  will  accommodate 
itself  in  the  adjacent  towns.  The  growth  of  these  suburban 
towns  is  mainly  due  to  the  overflow  of  the  population  of  Bos¬ 
ton,  and  what  they  gain  in  the  advantages  which  the  country 
affords,  we  lose  in  the  substantial  character  of  our  citizens. 

The  annexation  of  Roxbury,  though  unwisely  delayed,  was  a 
most  important  step  in  the  right  direction.  It  is  then  evident, 
on  these  general  views,  that  timely  provision  should  be  made 
for  the  acquisition  of  territory  of  large  capacity,  bordering  closely 
upon  the  city,  in  the  direction  of  the  movement  of  population, 
best  adapted  to  our  existing  system  of  water  distribution,  drain¬ 
age,  etc.,  a  territory  which  we  shall  have  the  power  to  shape  at 
small  expense,  for  the  healthful  occupation  of  our  increasing 
population. 

THE  TERRITORY  PROPOSED  TO  BE  ANNEXED. 

Dorchester  seems  to  your  Commissioners  to  present  these  im¬ 
portant  requisites.  It  has  a  large  area  of  high  land,  well 
adapted  for  residences,  and  its  situation  is  such  that  it  can  be 
easily  and  cheaply  drained.  Its  north  and  west  boundaries, 
following  those  of  the  city,  intersect  neighborhoods  that  have 
lived  in  common  for  generations.  Indeed,  so  undefined  and 
obscure  are  these  limits,  that  a  non-resident  would  find  it  difficult 
to  tell  where  the  territory  of  Dorchester  begins,  or  that  of  the 
city  ends.  These  lines  cut  many  streets  at  right  angles,  thus 
rendering  impossible —  in  the  existing  state  of  things  —  any 
general  and  comprehensive  system  of  street  and  sewerage  im¬ 
provements.  It  has  a  navigable  harbor  and  river  line  on  the 


10 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


east  of  about  three  miles  in  extent,  and  a  continuous  river  line 
above,  navigable  to  Lower  Mills,  and  reaching  to  within  a  short 
distance  of  its  southern  limit,  with  valuable  deep  water  at  Com¬ 
mercial  Point  and  Port  Norfolk,  affording  sites  for  wharves, 
factories,  ship-yards,  etc.,  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the  vicinity  of 
Boston.  Vessels  drawing  from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  can 
come  up  to  Commercial  Point,  and  sixteen  feet  at  high  water,  to 
Port  Norfolk.  The  Old  Colony  and  Newport  Railroad,  with 
three  passenger  stations  in  the  town,  runs  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  shore,  crossing  the  river  at  Port  Norfolk,  from 
whence  the  Dorchester  and  Milton  Branch  Railroad  runs  near 
the  river  to  Mattapan.  The  Hartford  and  Erie  Railroad  passes 
through  the  entire  territory,  with  five  passenger  stations  therein, 
while  the  Metropolitan  Railroad  intersects  the  town  with  three 
distinct  lines  of  tracts.  The  distance  from  the  farthest  station 
in  the  town  to  State  Street,  is  accomplished  in  twenty  minutes. 
The  navigation  of  the  river  is  closed  for  only  about  two  months 
in  the  year  by  ice. 

There  are  various  important  industries  in  different  parts  of 
the  town,  that  give  employment  to  large  numbers  of  its  popula¬ 
tion,  and  they  are  represented  to  be  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
Nearly  one  half  of  the  population,  it  has  been  estimated,  do  busi¬ 
ness  in  the  city.  Its  streets  are  in  good  order,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  its  public  buildings  and  other  property ;  and  the 
health  of  the  town  is  as  good,  if  not  superior  to  that  of  any 
other  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston.  The  following  statistics 
exhibit  the  number  of  its  population,  dwelling-houses,  legal  voters 
and  other  details,  as  also  its  financial  condition. 


ANNEXATION  OP  DORCHESTER. 


11 


STATISTICS  OP  THE  TOWN. 


Inhabitants,  estimated  ..... 

Dwelling-houses,  May  1, 1868 
Ratable  polls  ..... 

Legal  voters  ...... 

Churches  ....... 

School-houses,  of  the  larger  class,  . 

“  11  of  the  small  u 

One  s!eam  fire  engine,  and  several  hand  engines. 
Scholars  ....... 

Acres  of  land  ...... 

Valuation  for  1868, 

Real  estate  ....... 

Personal  ....... 


12,000 

1,830 

2,918 

2,100 

13 

T 

3 


2,000 
4,532 j 


$9,291,200  00 
6,035,100  00 


FINANCIAL  CONDITION. 

Town  debt  .......  $147,700 

Cash  on  hand  Feb.  1,  1869,  and  due  from  State 

and  for  taxes  ......  111,092  41 


Actual  debt  .......  $36,607  59 

Valuation  of  town  property  ....  237,182  26 


COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS. 

The  following  statistics  are  presented  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  the  comparative  areas  of  Boston,  Roxbury  and  Dorches¬ 
ter,  the  aggregate  area  of  the  three  places  being  9,902  acres, 
and  the  density  of  population  to  the  square  acre  and  square 
mile  of  Boston  proper,  as  compared  with  other  large  cities. 


12 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


The  original  area  of  upland  in  Boston  was 
The  area  added,  and  in  progress  by  filling 
flats,  is  . 

The  area  of  South  Boston  is  . 

The  area  of  East  Boston  is  .  . 


690  acres. 

880  “ 
900  “ 
800  “ 


Making  a  total  of 
The  area  of  Roxbury  is  . 


3,270  acres. 

2,100  “ 


The  united  areas  of  Boston  and  Roxbury  are  5,370  acres. 


The  area  of  the  City  of  New  York  is  14,502  acres. 
“  u  Philadelphia  is  82,560  “ 

u  11  London  is  74,070  <l 


The  population  of  Boston  to  the  square  acre  is  59 


u 

u 

Roxbury  11 

u 

13 

u 

(C 

New  York  11 

(C 

56 

u 

u 

Philadelphia  11 

(C 

7 

a 

u 

London  u 

a 

40 

The  population  of  Boston  in  1865  was 
“  “  “  1855  « 


192,317 

160,490 


Increase  in  ten  years 


31,827 


19^^  per  cent. 
The  area  of  Dorchester  is 
u  “  Boston  is 


4,532  acres. 
5,370  “ 


The  united  areas  of  Boston  and  Dorchester  are 

The  population  of  Dorchester  in  1865  was 
u  11  u  in  1855  u 

Increase  in  ten  years  ..." 


9,902  acres. 


10,707 

8,340 


2,377 


28-j5^  per  cent. 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


13 


Boston  has  less  square  miles  within  its  corporate  limits  than 
either  of  the  following  cities. 


New  York  has 

• 

•  • 

.  22  square 

miles. 

Philadelphia  . 

• 

•  • 

129  J 

u 

tt 

Baltimore 

• 

•  • 

15 

It 

u 

Buffalo  . 

• 

•  • 

27 

u 

u 

Pittsburg 

• 

•  • 

24 

u 

u 

Louisville 

• 

•  • 

12} 

u 

u 

Chicago  . 

• 

•  • 

23} 

u 

u 

Boston  . 

«* 

• 

•  • 

10 

u 

u 

And  its  proportion  of  population  to 

the  square  mile  is  large 

in  comparison  with  that  of  other  cities,  being  more  than  that  of 
the  city  of  London. 


London  has  to  the  square  mile 
Liverpool  u  u 

Bristol  u  u 

New  York  u  u 

Cincinnati  a  11 

Philadelphia  (census  of  1860) 
Chicago  has  to  the  square  mile 
Pittsburg  “  u 

Boston  u  “ 


24,768 

29,712 

22,080 

32,068 

30,143 

4,403 

10,833 

5,623 

25,600 


CENTRALIZATION  OF  WEALTH  AND  POPULATION. 

The  tendency  of  population  to  centralize  in  cities,  is  an  estab¬ 
lished  physical  law,  and  its  operation  upon  this  continent,  in  the 
building  up  of  great  cities,  presents  more  striking  illustrations 
than  may  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  Old  World.  This  concen¬ 
tration  has  not  advanced  as  rapidly  in  the  city  of  Boston  as  in 
many  other  cities  of  the  Union,  but  if  the  rate  of  progress  has 
been  slow,  it  has  been  sure  and  irresistible.  In  a  note  ap¬ 
pended  to  the  printed  census  of  1865,  the  following  statements 


14 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


occur :  “  Within  the  limits  of  the  City  of  Boston,  are  contained 
about  one-seventh  of  the  population  of  the  State  —  44.06  per 
cent,  or  nearly  one-half  of  the  personal  property — and  more 
than  one-third  of  the  real  estate.  The  cities  and  towns  within 
ten  miles,  but  exclusive  of  Boston,  contain  more  than  one-sixth 
of  the  population  of  the  State  —  nearly  one-sixth  of  the  personal 
property  —  and  a  fraction  over  one-fifth  part  of  the  real  estate. 
Within  ten  miles  and  inclusive  of  Boston,  therefore,  are  com¬ 
prised  about  one-third  of  the  population  —  six-tenths  of  the 
personal  property — and  above  one-half  (.54)  of  the  real  es¬ 
tate  of  the  Commonwealth.  More  than  one-half  of  the  popula¬ 
tion  of  the  State,  seven-tenths  of  the  personal  property,  and  two- 
thirds  of  the  real  estate,  are  situated  within  a  distance  of  twenty- 
five  miles  from  the  State  House. 

“  This  condensation  of  population  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  as 
compared  with  other  portions  of  the  State,  has  existed  from  an 
early  period.  A  circumscribing  circle,  drawn  from  the  State 
House  at  Boston  as  a  centre,  and  containing  exactly  one-half  of 
the  population  of  the  State,  would  have  had  a  radius  in  1765  of 
less  than  30  miles;  in  1800  of  less  than  35  miles;  1810  of  34 
miles;  in  1820  the  radius  would  have  been  32  miles;  in  1830 
31  miles;  in  1840  29J  miles;  and  in  1865  a  fraction  less  than 
25  miles. 

“The  number  of  dwellings  in  Massachusetts  in  1865  was  re¬ 
turned  as  208,698 ;  the  number  of  families  269,968  ;  there  being 
61,270  more  families  than  dwellings.  The  proportion  of  fami¬ 
lies  to  dwellings  in  Boston  being  38,021  of  the  former  to  20,649 
of  the  latter.” 

In  view  of  these  facts,  for  they  are  facts  and  not  speculations, 
the  duty  of  the  present  and  future  guardians  of  the  city  is  as 
clear  as  the  day.  It  is  not  to  attempt  to  divert  this  wealth  and 
population  into  new  channels,  or  to  create  new  centres  for  it.  It 
is  to  accept  the  actual,  existing  conditions,  and  provide,  by 
seasonable  legislation,  for  its  natural,  necessary  and  healthful 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


15 


expansion  and  distribution  over  a  wider  area,  into  the  beautiful 
suburbs  which  nature  lias  so  lavishly  furnished  for  the  purpose. 

DRAINAGE  AND  HARBOR  IMPROVEMENT. 

On  this  subject,  your  Committee  refer  to  the  report  of  the 
Back  Bay  Commissioners,  made  to  the  City  Council  in  1863  — 
City  Document  No.  81.  The  Commissioners  say :  “  By  the  second 
report  of  the  United  States  Commissioners  on  the  condition 
of  Boston  Harbor,  dated  Dec.  12,  1860,  it  is  shown  that 
between  the  years  1835  and  1847,  there  has  been  deposited  in 
Charles  River,  between  the  Mill-Dam  and  Charles  River  Bridge, 
an  amount  of  sediment  equal  to  1,499,000  cubic  yards.  No 
doubt  the  largest  portion  of  this  sediment  has  been  brought 
down  by  Charles  River,  draining  as  it  does  many  square  miles 
of  territory.  The  remedy  which  we  think  must  finally  be 
adopted  will  be  to  intercept  Stony  Brook  at  or  near  Washing¬ 
ton  Street  in  Roxbury,  and  by  the  construction  of  a  tunnel  and 
sewer,  in  a  southeasterly  direction  through  Roxbury  and  Dor¬ 
chester,  discharge  all  the  water  of  this  brook  and  this  territory 
into  the  most  easterly  end  of  Dorchester  Bay. 

“  This  method  of  its  discharge  will  relieve  Charles  River  and 
the  main  body  of  the  harbor  from  the  deposit  of  any  sediment 
from  this  section  of  territory.  The  proposed  point  of  discharge 
for  this  great  sewer,  when  built,  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
the  nearest  point  of  South  Boston,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
Savin  Hill,  and  more  than  a  mile  from  Thompson’s  Island ;  and 
is  so  situated  that  all  the  discharge  from  the  sewer  will  be  swept 
by  the  current  from  Neponset  River  into  the  back  way  or  chan¬ 
nel  of  the  harbor,  and  thus  tend  to  keep  the  main  channel  and 
shores  of  the  harbor  free  from  the  deposit  of  sediment  from  the 
sewers.” 

It  is  obvious  that  the  Commissioners  in  considering  this  sub¬ 
ject,  to  which  they  seem  to  have  given  great  attention,  anticipa- 


16 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


ted  the  time  when  South  Bay  would  be  filled  up  solid  as  well  as 
the  fact  that  Fort  Point  Channel  should  not  be  made  the  point 
of  discharge  for  the  sewerage  which  will  be  required  for  the 
population  which  is  to  occupy  South  Bay  and  the  adjacent  ter¬ 
ritory. 

His  Excellency  the  Governor,  in  his  recent  inaugural  address, 
interprets  accurately  the  public  sentiment.  Speaking  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  filling  up  of  the  South  Boston  flats,  he  said : 
“  The  filling  up  of  these  flats  is  no  doubtful  experiment.  The 
continual  rise  in  the  value  of  real  estate  in  Boston  proves  that 
the  great  'present  and  future  need  of  this  City  is  land .  These  flats, 
together  with  a  very  large  territory  belonging  to  the  Commonwealth 
in  South  Bay,  are  directly  in  the  path  of  the  growth  of  Boston. 
If  a  large  portion  of  this  territory  was  filled  up,  it  would  sell  at 
remunerative  prices.  The  whole  of  it  will  be  needed  within  this 
generation.” 

Your  Commissioners  have  obtained  from  the  State  Harbor 
Commissioners  an  expression  of  their  views  which,  without  ex¬ 
pressing  an  opinion  further  upon  the  question  of  how  best  to 
deal  with  this  subject,  which  increases  in  importance  and  diffi¬ 
culty  with  the  growth  of  the  south  part  of  the  city,  they  ap¬ 
pend  hereto.  There  is  no  difference  of  opinion,  that  the  inter¬ 
ests  of  our  commerce  require  that  the  whole  harbor  front  of 
what  is  known  as  Boston  Harbor,  in  all  matters  of  regulation 
and  police,  should  be  under  the  municipal  control  of  the  city. 

WHETHER  A  PART  OR  THE  WHOLE. 

Your  Commissioners  have  given  careful  attention  to  the  con¬ 
sideration  of  how  much,  if  not  all,  of  the  town  of  Dorchester 
it  is  necessary,  expedient,  or  desirable,  should  be  annexed  to 
the  city.  The  question  is  attended  with  some  difficulty.  An 
experimental  line  has  been  surveyed  from  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  city,  in  the  Highland  District,  as  a  continuation  of  our 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


IT 


south  boundary  on  Seaver  Street,  thence  running  nearly  in  a 
southeasterly  direction,  parallel  with  and  in  the  rear  of  Wash¬ 
ington  Street,  Dorchester,  south  of  said  street  to  a  point  on  that 
street  midway  between  the  Town  House  and  the  church,  and 
thence  by  a  nearly  direct  course  to  Granite  Bridge,  on  the  Ne- 
ponset  River.  This  line,  at  the  first  view,  would  seem  to  be  the 
most  natural  one  that  could  be  drawn,  because  it  preserves  the 
continuity  of  the  south  boundary,  follows  the  trend  of  the  land 
to  Neponset  River,  and  gives  us  Dorchester  Bay,  the  basin,  and 
tidal  waters  of  Neponset  River  up  to  a  given  point,  and  also 
the  ground  through  which  a  drain  may  be  constructed. 

But  such  a  line  could  hardly  be  expected  to  meet  the  views 
of  the  citizens  of  the  town.  The  territory  left  out  would  be  too 
small  for  a  township,  having  less  than  two-fifths  of  the  whole 
area,  and  one-fifth  of  the  population,  bad  in  shape,  and  so  situ 
ated  as  to  make  its  annexation  to  either  one  or  the  other  of  the 
towns  of  Milton,  Hyde  Park,  or  West  Roxbury,  which  it  adjoins, 
unavoidable.  This  line  is  within  the  six-mile  radius,  and  how¬ 
ever  convenient  it  might  seem  to  be  for  a  boundary,  there  were 
so  many  objections  raised  to  it  that  your  Commissioners  felt 
obliged  to  abandon  it.  A  more  contracted  line,  taking  in  less 
territory,  would  clearly  be  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  city.  On 
this  subject  your  Commissioners  assumed  that  it  would  not  be 
going  beyond  the  scope  of  their  instructions  to  canvass  the.  opin¬ 
ions  of  the  citizens  of  the  town.  They  did  so  freely,  and  the 
balance  of  opinion  was  found  to  be,  so  far  as  they  could  judge, 
in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  the  whole  of  the  territory,  rather 
than  its  division  by  the  proposed  line,  or  any  line  which  would 
separate  one  part  from  the  other.  A  strong  feeling  of  attach¬ 
ment  to  the  name  of  the  town,  and  its  history  and  traditions 
was  manifested. 

It  was  thought  that,  as  in  the  case  of  Roxbury,  by  the  annex¬ 
ation  of  the  whole  territory,  Dorchester  might  continue  to  re¬ 
turn  her  boundary  and  local  history,  as  a  precinct  of  the  city. 

2 


18 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


The  annexation,  last  year,  of  a  portion  of  the  back  territory  of 
the  town  to  Hyde  Park,  relieves  the  question  of  much  of  this 
difficulty.  It  was  found  that  the  present  south  boundary  of  the 
town  came  within  the  seven-mile  radius,  which  seems  to  be  gen¬ 
erally  admitted  to  be  a  rational  and  practicable  limit  to  the 
extension  of  the  city’s  boundary.  It  should  also  be  stated  that 
by  taking  the  whole  territory,  a  part  of  Mount  Hope  Cemetery 
will  be  embraced  within  the  city  limits,  an  object  both  interest¬ 
ing  and  desirable. 


CONCLUSION. 

On  the  ground,  therefore,  of  the  necessity  for  a  part,  and  the 
desirableness  of  the  whole  of  the  territory  for  the  present  and 
prospective  wants  of  the  city,  the  highly  favorable  financial, 
industrial,  and  sanitary  condition  of  the  town,  and  paying  due 
respect  to  the  opinions  and  wishes  of  its  inhabitants,  your  Com¬ 
missioners  report  it  to  be  their  unanimous  judgment  that  the 
whole  of  the  territory  should  be  annexed  to  the  City  of  Boston 
without  delay,  and  they  respectfully  recommend  to  the  City 
Council  that  His  Honor  the  Mayor  be  authorized  to  petition 
the  Legislature  in  their  behalf,  for  an  Act  to  that  effect. 

CHAS.  R.  TRAIN,  ) 

NATII’L  J.  BRAHLEE,  >  Commissioners. 

GEO.  A.  SHAW,  ) 

Boston,  March  1,  1869. 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


Harbor  Commissioners’  Office,  City  Hall, 

Boston,  Feb.  25,  1869. 

Hon.  Charles  R.  Train,  Chairman  Commissioners  on  the  annex¬ 
ation  of  Dorchester  to  Boston. 

Sir,  —  The  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners  have  the  honor 
to  make  the  following  report  upon  the  request  of  the  Commis¬ 
sioners  appointed  by  the  Mayor  of  Boston  to  consider  the  subject 
of  the  annexation  of  a  portion  or  the  whole  of  the  town  of  Dor¬ 
chester  to  the  City  of  Boston. 

Upon  the  general  question  of  the  expediency  of  enlarging  the 
water  front  of  the  city,  it  would  not  be  proper  for  this  Board  to 
express  any  opinion,  as  they  have  jurisdiction  equally  over  the 
water  fronts  of  Boston  and  Dorchester,  and  can  take  as  efficient 
measures  for  the  protection  of  navigation  and  the  preservation 
of  the  Harbor,  whether  the  corporation  limits  are  diminished  or 
enlarged. 

In  regard  to  the  matter  of  drainage,  the  Commissioners,  desir¬ 
ous  of  furnishing  such  information  as  they  could  command,  di¬ 
rected  their  Engineer  to  examine  into  the  subject  of  deflecting 
the  drainage  of  Stony  Brook  from  Charles  River  to  Dorchester 
Bay.  The  results  of  his  examinations  have  been  communicated 
to  the  Board  as  follows : 

The  topography  of  the  country  of  which  Stony  Brook  is  the 
natural  drain,  does  not  admit  of  other  relief  for  its  water-shed, 
except  at  points  near  the  mouth  of  said  brook,  at  its  confluence 
with  Muddy  River. 


20 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


Between  this  general  locality  and  the  shores  of  Dorchester 
Bay,  the  ground  is  low  and  level,  and  a  drain  or  sewer  carrying 
even  a  part  of  the  flowage  of  Stony  Brook  at  times  of  freshet, 
would  have  to  be  of  large  capacity,  and  through  expensive  ground 
to  occupy  for  this  purpose. 

The  distance  from  the  nearest  point  of  Stony  Brook,  favor¬ 
able  for  deflecting  drainage,  to  the  present  nearest  shore  of 
Dorchester  Bay,  is  about  two  miles,  10,500  feet. 

The  distance  from  the  same  point  to  Charles  River,  is  about 
one  and  a  quarter  miles,  6,500  feet. 

The  route  most  favorable  and  practical  for  a  drain  or  sewer, 
turning  Stony  Brook  into  Dorchester  Bay,  passes  just  tangent 
to  the  township  line  of  Dorchester  and  is  already  within  the 
limits  of  the  City  of  Boston,  near  the  head  waters  of  South  Bay, 
and  would  not,  therefore,  involve  questions  of  municipal  in¬ 
terest. 

The  physical  bearing  of  the  drainage  from  Stony  Brook  is  a 
questionable  one.  As  a  tributary  to  Charles  River  it  is  of  value. 
Its  volume,  during  a  recent  freshet,  was  400  cubic  feet  per 
second.  The  deposits  from  it,  as  a  sewer,  would  be  injurious; 
but  its  influences  in  comparison  with  the  water  volume  of  Charles 
River,  or  with  its  mud  deposits,  are  of  small  proportions. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JOSIAH  QUINCY, 

Chairman  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners . 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


In  Senate,  May  6,  1869. 

The  Joint  Committee  on  Towns,  to  whom  was  referred  the  peti¬ 
tions  of  the  Mayor  of  Boston,  and  of  Edmund  P.  Tileston, 
Marshall  P.  Wilder  and  others,  of  the  town  of  Dorchester, 
praying  that  the  town  of  Dorchester  may  be  annexed  to  the 
City  of  Boston,  have  duly  considered  the  same,  and  submit  the 
following 

REPORT. 

The  census  of  1865  fixed  the  centre  of  the  population  of  the 
State  at  a  point  less  than  two  miles  from  the  State  House.  The 
increase  since  that  period  eastward  of  the  point  then  indicated 
has,  without  doubt,  removed  that  centre  very  near  to,  if  not 
within  the  limits  of  the  metropolis.  It  is  safe,  therefore,  to 
assume  that  the  City  of  Boston  has  become  the  centre  of  the  pop¬ 
ulation,  as  it  has  long  been  the  centre  of  the  business  and  capital 
of  the  Commonwealth.  In  considering  the  question  of  the  en¬ 
largement  of  its  territorial  area,  this  fact  should  be  borne  in 
mind ;  for  whatever  legislation  may  be  found  desirable  or  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  prosperity  and  security  of  the  City  of  Boston,  is 
legislation  for  all  the  people  and  every  interest  of  the  State. 
The  concentration  of  population  in  Boston  and  its  suburbs  has 
been  going  on  for  a  period  of  years.  The  present  population 
of  the  city  is  estimated  to  be  240,000,  and  it  is  believed  that  it 
will  reach,  in  1880,  to  near  300,000.  It  appears,  from  the  tes¬ 
timony  submitted  to  your  Committee,  that  there  is  not  sufficient 


22 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


room  for  the  healthy  action  of  the  numbers  which  now  occupy 
its  territory,  and  that  the  increase  of  these  numbers  anticipated 
during  the  next  decade,  must  be  seasonably  provided  for  by  the 
annexation  of  some  territory  contiguous  to  the  city,  of  sufficient 
area  and  elevation  to  furnish  healthful  sites  for  dwellings  and 
open  spaces  for  ventilation. 

The  present  restricted  limits  of  the  city  are  illustrated  by  a 
comparison  with  those  of  other  cities.  The  entire  territorial  area 
of  Boston  is  5,370  acres,  upon  which  there  are  forty-five  persons 
to  the  square  acre. 

With  a  population  of  300,000  there  would  be  fifty-four  per¬ 
sons  to  the  square  acre,  while  the  population  of  New  York  is 
fifty-six,  that  of  London  forty,  and  of  Philadelphia,  but  seven  to 
the  square  acre.  Boston  has  but  eight  and  one- third  square  miles 
of  territory,  while  New  York  has  twenty-two,  and  Philadelphia 
one  hundred  twenty-nine  and  one  half. 

Boston  has  a  population  of  29,000  to  the  square  mile,  while 
London  has  but  24,768,  and  Philadelphia  4;403.  These  figures 
exhibit  both  the  density  of  its  population  and  the  limited  area  to 
which  it  is  confined,  in  comparison  with  other  cities,  these  two 
conditions  being,  in  the  case  of  Boston,  in  excess  of  those  of  the 
two  great  commercial  capitals,  London  and  New  York. 

The  increase  of  population  in  the  city  proper,  exclusive  of 
East  Boston  and  South  Boston,  has  nearly,  if  not  quite,  reached 
its  culminating  point.  There  may  and  probably  will  be  some 
partial  increase  of  resident  population  in  these  two  localities  be¬ 
fore  they  are  finally  absorbed  by  the  demands  of  business.  The 
future  growth  of  the  city,  by  natural  increase  and  accessions 
from  abroad,  if  retained  within  its  present  limits,  will  be  neces¬ 
sitated  to  seek  accommodation  mainly  on  the  unoccupied  lands 
of  the  Highland  District.  These  lands  are  filling  up  rapidly, 
and  will  be  found  inadequate  to  the  demands  made  upon  them. 
The  day  is  not  far  distant  when,  if  the  present  limits  of  Boston 
are  maintained,  its  resident  population  will  decrease,  and  its 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


23 


central  parts  become  simply  a  congeries  of  warehouses.  This 
tendency  has  been  apparent  for  some  time,  but  is  now  particu¬ 
larly  conspicuous.  The  increase  of  the  population  of  the  city 
from  1855  to  1865,  was  19-^-  per  cent.  The  increase  in  the 
valuation  of  real  and  personal  estate  during  the  same  period 
was  a  fraction  over  53  per  cent,  indicating  a  large  increase  of 
successful  business  without  a  corresponding  increase  of  popula¬ 
tion,  the  densely  peopled  limits  of  the  city  forcing  its  most  active 
business  men  to  find  their  homes  in  the  adjoining  towns.  The 
operation  of  these  causes  is  also  illustrated  by  the  acceler¬ 
ated  growth  of  the  suburbs,  which  have  become  the  dormitories 
of  the  merchants  of  Boston.  Nine  cities  and  towns  immediately 
surrounding  the  city  had,  in  1855,  an  aggregate  population 
of  100,256  jin  1865,  139,558;  an  increase  of  39,302.  This 
increase  was  made  up  largely  from  the  overflow  of  the 
population  of  the  city,  and  this  overflow  has  been  going  on  with 
increasing  magnitude  since  1865.  The  testimony  taken  by  your 
Committee  in  the  hearing  of  these  petitioners,  fully  sustains  this 
conclusion.  Mr.  Thomas  Hills,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Asses¬ 
sors  of  the  City  of  Boston,  testified  as  follows  : 

“Fort  Hill  covers  four  acres  of  land.  The  improvements  thereon 
remove  185  dwelling-houses.  The  population  is  chiefly  foreign, 
and  averages  10  to  15  persons  to  a  house.  This  is  an  under¬ 
estimate.  After  the  change,  the  property  will  be  too  valuable  for 
use  for  other  than  business  purposes.  More  than  3,000  people 
will  be  deprived  of  homes.  Assessed  the  Church  Street  dis¬ 
trict  in  1867.  The  area  is  26  acres,  the  same  size  as  the  Pub¬ 
lic  Carden.  Many  of  the  houses  were  not  fit  to  raise,  and  had 
to  come  down.  There  were  on  the  territory  453  dwellings,  867 
families  and  3,528  persons.  This  population  was  more  than 
three-quarters  American,  of  the  middling  class,  mechanics, 
clerks  and  men  of  small  means,  paying  $200  to  $300  rents.  This 
property,  while  under  grade,  was  cheap.  The  effect  of  the  im- 


24 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


provement  is  to  make  it  too  valuable  for  the  residences  of  this 
class  of  people.  They  must  vacate,  and  have  already  begun  to 
do  so.  It  is  the  exact  centre  of  the  city,  within  two  to  ten  min¬ 
utes’  walk  of  the  Common.  The  population  of  Boston  is  being 
steadily  crowded  out  from  the  old  hard  land,  and  goes  south. 
Business  would  drive  the  population  away  from  Beacon  Hill  if 
it  were  not  for  the  hill.  There  are  very  few  vacant  buildings 
in  Boston.  Buildings  once  converted  into  stores  will  not  be 
re-converted  into  dwellings.” 

Mr.  C.  A.  Connor,  an  assistant  assessor,  resident  in  South 
Boston,  testified  as  follows  : 

"There  are  27  brick  and  70  wooden  houses  going  up  in  South 
Boston.  In  1863,  assessed  marsh  land  at  eight  cents  per  foot. 
It  has  been  sold  within  a  year  at  a  shilling  a  foot.  The  upland 
in  Washington  Village,  assessed  by  me  at  ten,  and  twelve  and  a 
half  cents,  cannot  be  bought  now  for  twenty-five  cents  a  foot. 
The  land  between  the  line  and  the  Norfolk  House  has  risen  from 
twenty  to  forty  per  cent.  The  number  of  houses  built  in  South 
Boston  has  averaged  100  per  year  for  the  last  ten  years. 
Property  in  South  Boston  has  doubled  since  1863.  The  de¬ 
mand  is  for  small  houses.  The  growth  is  a  steady  and  not  a 
speculative  one.” 

In  addition  to  these  facts  is  the  recent  demand  for  8  acres  of 
land  north  of  Causeway  Street,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
Lowell  and  Eastern  Railroads,  which,  if  granted,  will  deprive 
719  families  and  from  3,000  to  4,000  people  of  their  homes. 
The  material  fact  deducible  from  the  foregoing  statements  is, 
that  Boston  is  constantly  losing  the  most  valuable  portion  of  its 
citizens,  who,  notwithstanding  that  their  business  and  property 
are  embraced  within  its  limits,  becoming,  of  necessity,  non-resi¬ 
dent,  cease  to  exercise  any  control  over  its  affairs,  and  to  feel 
any  personal  responsibility  for  their  proper  administration, 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


25 


leaving  this  duty  in  the  hands  of  a  class  least  fitted  for  its  dis¬ 
charge.  To  remedy  this  state  of  things,  there  must  be  expan¬ 
sion,  by  the  acquisition  of  suitable  territory,  for  the  present  wants 
and  future  growth  of  the  city,  and  this  expansion  should  take 
place  on  the  line  of  the  movement  of  population.  It  is  conceded 
that  that  movement  is  southward.  We  shall  thus  retain  the 
population  now  being  driven  out,  recall  a  valuable  class  of  citi¬ 
zens,  living  upon  the  territory  to  be  acquired,  to  their  just  re¬ 
sponsibility  for  the  welfare  of  the  city  with  which  all  their  inter¬ 
ests  are  identified,  and  open  a  field  for  improvements  in  avenues 
and  squares,  commensurate  with  the  demands  of  our  advanced 
civilization,  for  the  healthful,  moral  and  physical  growth  of  a 
great  city. 

The  City  of  Boston  asks  for  the  territory  of  Dorchester.  The 
Mayor  and  a  Committee  of  the  City  Council  have  appeared  to 
urge  this  request.  At  the  same  time,  between  eight  and  nine 
hundred  citizens  of  Dorchester,  a  large  portion  of  whom  have 
their  business  in  the  city,  have  petitioned  for  the  same  object. 

The  petition  of  Dorchester  was  urged  by  an  intelligent  com¬ 
mittee  of  eighteen  gentlemen,  appointed  by  the  town  at  a  meet¬ 
ing  legally  called.  Repeated  and  patient  hearings  have  been 
given  to  both  parties  of  petitioners,  as  also  to  the  County  Com¬ 
missioners  of  Norfolk,  who  appeared  in  opposition;  there  being 
no  formal  appearance,  by  remonstrance,  from  the  town  of  Dor¬ 
chester. 

The  territory  asked  to  be  annexed  contains  4,532  acres, 
which,  added  to  the  area  of  Boston,  would  give  9,902  acres.  It 
has  a  population  of  about  12,000.  Its  valuation  for  1868  was 
$9,291,200  for  real,  and  $6,035,100  for  personal  estate. 

Its  net  town  debt,  as  determined  February  1,  1869,  was 
$36,607.59,  and  the  value  of  town  property  $237,182.26.  It 
has  a  harbor  and  river  line,  with  valuable  water  frontage,  of 
from  four  to  five  miles,  and  is  intersected  by  two  steam  rail- 


26 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


roads  and  three  tracks  of  horse  railroad;  which  furnish  abundant 
accommodation. 

The  whole  territory,  with  little  exception,  is  well  adapted  for 
residences,  and  can  be  easily  and  cheaply  drained.  Its  streets 
are  represented  to  be  in  fair  condition. 

Some  of  the  reasons  urged  by  the  petitioners  on  the  part  of 
the  town  of  Dorchester  were ;  that  its  population  has  become 
too  large  for  a  town  organization,  and  they  do  not  desire  a  sep¬ 
arate  city  organization  ;  that  fully  one-third,  if  not  more,  of  its 
citizens  do  business  in  the  city,  a  large  number  of  whom  are 
taxed  in  both  places,  and  they  prefer  to  be  taxed  iu  one  place ; 
that  living  close  upon  the  borders  of  the  city,  they  are  denied 
the  benefit  of  its  institutions;  that  the  value  of  real  estate  would 
be  enhanced  by  annexation,  and  a  system  of  improvements  in¬ 
augurated  which  would  add  greatly  to  their  convenience  and 
comfort ;  that  a  common  system  of  streets  and  drains  will  soon 
become  necessary,  and  that,  believing  annexation  to  be  simply 
a  question  of  time,  any  further  delay  in  the  adoption  of  such  a 
system  will  be  injurious  to  the  best  interests  of  both  the  City  of 
Boston  and  the  town  of  Dorchester.  It  was  objected  by  the 
Commissioners  of  the  county  of  Norfolk  that  the  loss  of  Dor¬ 
chester  would  operate  unfavorably  upon  the  interests  of  the 
county,  by  the  withdrawal  of  so  large  a  portion  of  its  territory, 
population  and  taxable  estates,  as  to  increase  the  burdens  of  the 
remaining  towns,  but  it  was  shown  by  the  petitioners  that 
there  existed  no  real  grounds  for  such  an  apprehension.  In 
the  ten  years  between  1855  and  1865  Norfolk  County  was  the 
third  in  rank  of  increase,  Suffolk  being  first,  and  Middlesex 
second.  In  1865j,he  county  had  a  population  of  116,306.  The 
loss  of  Roxbury  reduced  this  number  to  87,880,  leaving  it — 
allowing  for  increase  subsequent  to  1865  — the  fifth  in  rank  as 
to  population  among  the  counties  of  the  State. 

The  loss  of  Dorchester,  population  of  1865,  10,717,  would 
leave  77,163  as  the  population  of  the  twenty-one  towns  remain- 


ANNEXATION  OP  DORCHESTER. 


27 


mg  to  the  county  after  the  annexation  of  Dorchester  to  Boston, 

and  place  it  the  sixth  in  rank  as  to  population.  But  to  this 

77,163  should  be  added  the  large  increase  since  1865,  together 

with  that  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  Dorchester  set  off  to 

Hyde  Park  in  1868,  which  town,  made  up  of  more  than  a 
* 

quarter  part  of  the  territory  of  Dorchester,  preserves  the  full 
complement  of  twenty-two  towns  now  comprised  in  the  county, 
and  will,  hereafter,  if  its  present  rapid  growth  receives  no 
check,  replace  the  population  and  wealth  hitherto  represented 
by  the  town  of  Dorchester. 

The  county  had,  in  1867,  a  valuation  of  $104,792,620.  The 
loss  of  Roxbury  reduced  this  valuation  to  $78,240,900.  The 
valuation  of  the  county  in  1868,  without  Roxbury,  was  $82,032,- 
850,  showing  a  gain  in  a  single  year  of  $3,791,950.  The  loss 
of  Dorchester  would  reduce  this  amount  to  $66,706,550,  thus 
leaving  the  county  with  its  present  number  of  twenty-two  towns, 
made  good  by  the  addition  of  Hyde  Park,  the  sixth  in  rank  as 
to  valuation. 

The  county  can  suffer  no  injury  by  the  loss  of  Dorchester. 
She  will  have  her  full  number  of  towns  left,  together  with 
abundant  wealth  and  population  to  enable  her  to  maintain  her 
rank,  and,  moreover,  her  financial  condition  is  as  good,  if  not 
better,  than  that  of  any  other  county  in  the  state.  The  county 
is  entirely  free  from  debt ,  and  its  public  buildings  are  stated  to  be 
worth  $300,000;  $75,000  having  been  expended  upon  them 
during  the  last  fifteen  years,  of  which  Dorchester  has  contrib¬ 
uted  her  full  share. 

With  so  satisfactory  an  exhibit  of  the  condition  of  Norfolk 
County  there  would  seem  to  be  no  reasonable  ground  for  ob¬ 
jection,  on  its  part,  to  the  granting  of  the  prayer  of  these  peti¬ 
tioners.  The  fact  that  no  organized  opposition  to  this  measure 
exists  within  the  town  itself,  or  if  existing,  appeared  before  your 
Committee,  is  a  gratifying  proof  that  a  greater  degree  of  una- 


28 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


nimity  prevails  among  its  citizens  than  is  usually  found  upon 
questions  of  this  nature. 

But  there  are  higher  considerations,  affecting  the  interests  of 
the  Commonwealth,  involved  in  the  decision  of  this  question. 
The  growing  influence  of  the  metropolis  in  state  affairs,  arising 
from  the  aggregation  of  wealth  and  population  within  and  upon 
its  borders  —  a  wealth  in  which  every  citizen  living  in  the  most 
remote  corner  of  the  Commonwealth  is  interested,  and  a  popula¬ 
tion  that  will  hereafter  possess  a  larger  share  of  political  power 
than  it  now  wields  —  should  engage  the  attention  of  the  legisla¬ 
ture.  How  this  influence  may  be  made  to  subserve  in  the  high¬ 
est  degree  the  interests  of  the  whole  Commonwealth  is  an  impor¬ 
tant  inquiry.  Whatever  will  add  to  the  stability  of  its  institu¬ 
tions,  to  the  moral  and  intellectual  culture  of  its  people,  to 
the  stock  of  private  and  public  virtue  in  the  community,  and  to 
its  commercial  character  and  prosperity,  as  the  metropolis  of 
Massachusetts  and  of  New  England,  should  be  welcomed  as 
invaluable  contributions  to  the  general  good  of  the  whole  Com¬ 
monwealth.  Can  any  or  all  of  these  objects  be  attained  by  nar¬ 
rowing  the  limits  of  its  territory  ?  Must  we  not  look  rather  to 
the  enlargement  of  its  boundaries,  to  the  granting  of  freer  scope 
for  the  exercise  of  the  enterprise  of  its  citizens,  and  the  opening 
of  wider  spaces  for  the  movements  of  business  and  population  ? 

There  appears  to  be  nothing  in  the  relative  conditions  of  the 
City  of  Boston  and  the  town  of  Dorchester,  to  militate  against 
the  union  which  they  both  desire. 

The  former  puts  in  its  plea  on  the  ground  of  necessity,  and 
the  latter  on  the  ground  of  the  benefits  which  she  hopes  to  de¬ 
rive  from  the  union.  This  necessity  and  these  benefits  have 
been  established  by  the  petitioners. 

The  annexation  of  Roxbury  was  persistently  opposed  for  a 
series  of  years  upon  the  same  grounds  now  urged  against  the 
annexation  of  Dorchester,  but  the  experience  of  a  single  year 
has  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  the  measure,  and  the  people, 


ANNEXATION  OP  DORCHESTER. 


29 


not  only  of  Boston  and  Roxbury,  but  of  the  Commonwealth, 
agree  in  the  opinion  that  the  only  mistake  was  in  delaying  that 
measure  so  long. 

The  interests  of  the  two  municipalities  and  public  policy  re¬ 
quire  that  they  should  be  united,  and  your  Committee  there¬ 
fore  report  the  following  Bill. 

GEO.  EL  SWEETSER, 

Chairman  of  Committee  on  the  part  of  the  Senate. 

T.  G.  KENT, 

Chairman  on  the  part  of  the  House. 

JACOB  BATES, 

T.  H.  GOODSPEED, 

Of  the  House. 


MINORITY  REPORT. 


The  undersigned,  members  of  the  Joint  Standing  Committee 
on  Towns,  to  which  were  referred  the  several  petitions  for  the 
annexation  of  the  whole  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  to  the  City 
of  Boston,  submit  the  following  minority  Report : 

On  the  10th  day  of  December,  1868,  the  following  order  was 
introduced  into  and  passed  by  the  Common  Council  of  Boston : 

City  of  Boston, 

In  Common  Council,  Dec.  10,  1868. 

Whereas,  In  the  opinion  of  the  City  Council,  it  has  become 
necessary,  in  order  to  complete  the  system  of  drainage  and  har¬ 
bor  improvements  which  have  been  devised  for  the  benefit  of 
Boston  by  the  various  commissions  which  have  had,  and  now 
have,  these  subjects  in  charge,  to  annex  a  portion  or  the  whole 
of  the  town  of  Dorchester  to  the  City  of  Boston. 

Ordered,  That  His  Honor  the  Mayor  be  requested  to  appoint 
a  commission  of  three  discreet  and  intelligent  persons,  who  shall 
carefully  examine  the  subject  in  all  its  financial,  industrial  and 
sanitary  relations,  cause  such  surveys  to  be  made  by  the  City 
Surveyor,  or  under  his  direction,  as  they  may  consider  necessary, 
and  report  the  result  of  their  doings,  with  such  suggestions  as 
they  may  think  proper,  to  the  City  Council  as  soon  as  may  be. 

A  true  copy  of  order  passed  by  City  Council,  Dec.  22, 1868. 

Attest :  S.  F.  Me  Cleary,  City  Cleric. 


ANNEXATION  OP  DORCHESTER. 


r 


31 


In  compliance  with  that  order  the  Mayor  of  Boston  appoin¬ 
ted  three  Commissioners,  who  made  their  report  March  1, 
1869.  Annexed  to  their  report  is  the  following  communication 
from  Josiah  Quincy,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Harbor  Com¬ 
missioners. 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Harbor^Commissioner’s  Office,  City  Hall, 

Boston,  Feb.  25,  1869. 

Hon.  Charles  R.  Train,  Chairman  Commissioners  on  the  annexa¬ 
tion  of  Dorchester  to  Boston. 

Sir,  — The  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners  have  the  honor 
to  make  the  following  Report  upon  the  request  of  the  Commis¬ 
sioners  appointed  by  the  Mayor  of  Boston  to  consider  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  the  annexation  of  a  portion  or  the  whole  of  the  town  of 
Dorchester  to  the  City  of  Boston. 

Upon  the  general  question  of  the  expediency  of  enlarging  the 
water  front  of  the  city,  it  would  not  be  proper  for  this  Board  to 
express  any  opinion,  as  they  have  jurisdiction  equally  over  the 
water  fronts  of  Boston  and  Dorchester,  and  can  take  as  efficient 
measures  for  the  protection  of  navigation  and  the  preservation 
of  the  harbor  whether  the  corporation  limits  are  diminished  or 
enlarged. 

In  regard  to  the  matter  of  drainage,  the  Commissioners, 
desirous  of  furnishing  such  information  as  they  could  command, 
directed  their  engineer  to  examine  into  the  subject  of  deflecting 
the  drainage  of  Stony  Brook  from  Charles  River  to  Dorchester 
Bay.  The  results  of  his  examinations  have  been  communi¬ 
cated  to  the  Board,  as  follows : 

The  topography  of  the  country  of  which  Stony  Brook  is  the 
natural  drain,  does  not  admit  of  other  relief  for  its  water-shed, 
except  at  points  near  the  mouth  of  said  brook  at  its  confluence 
with  Muddy  River. 


32 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


Between  this  general  locality  and  the  shores  of  Dorchester 
Bay,  the  ground  is  low  and  level,  and  a  drain  or  sewer  carrying 
even  a  part  of  the  flowage  of  Stony  Brook,  at  times  of  freshet, 
would  have  to  be  of  large  ’capacity,  and  through  expensive 
ground  to  occupy  for  this  purpose. 

The  distance  from  the  nearest  point  of  Stony  Brook,  favora¬ 
ble  for  deflecting  drainage,  to  the  present  nearest  shore  of  Dor¬ 
chester  Bay,  is  about  two  miles,  10,500  feet. 

The  distance  from  the  same  point  to  Charles  River,  is  about 
one  and  a  quarter  miles,  6,500  feet. 

The  route  most  favorable  and  practical  for  a  drain  or  sewer, 
turning  Stony  Brook  into  Dorchester  Bay,  passes  just  tangent 
to  the  township  line  of  Dorchester,  and  is  already  within  the 
limits  of  the  City  of  Boston,  near  the  head  waters  of  South  Bay, 
and  would  not,  therefore,  involve  questions  of  municipal  interest. 

The  physical  bearing  of  the  drainage  from  Stony  Brook  is  a 
questionable  one.  As  a  tributary  to  Charles  River,  it  is  of  value. 
Its  volume,  during  a  recent  freshet,  was  400  cubic  feet  per 
second.  The  deposits  from  it,  as  a  sewer,  would  be  injurious, 
but  its  influences  in  comparison  with  the  water  volume  of  Charles 
River,  or  with  its  mud  deposits,  are  of  small  proportions. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JOSIAH  QUINCY, 

Chairman  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners . 

It  will  be  seen  by  a  comparison  of  these  two  documents  that 
the  reasons  for  annexation  set  forth  in  the  order,  are  fully  met 
and  denied  by  the  Report  of  the  Harbor  Commissioners.  As 
no  evidence  was  offered  before  your  Committee  tending  to  show 
that  any  portion  of  the  territory  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  is 
needed  to  complete  any  system  of  drainage  or  harbor  improve¬ 
ments,  devised  for  the  benefit  of  Boston,  we  are  led  to  conclude 
that  no  such  necessity  exists.  In  fact,  the  reasons  for  annexa- 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


33 


lion  set  forth  in  the  order  were  wholly  abandoned  at  the  hear¬ 
ing  before  the  Committee. 

What  the  City  of  Boston  mainly  relied  upon  in  favor  of  this 
>  measure,  was  the  necessity  for  more  land  within  the  city  limits. 

Two  reasons  were  adduced  to  show  this  necessity.  First: 
that  the  city  is  being  abandoned  by  the  middle  classes  on  ac¬ 
count  of  the  scarcity  and  high  price  of  land,  thereby  throwing 
the  control  of  the  city  into  the  hands  of  the  very  rich  and  the 
very  poor,  the  preponderance  of  power  being  with  the  latter ; 
and,  second :  that  the  commercial  prosperity  and  importance 
of  Boston  would  be  enhanced  by  the  increase  of  its  population 
and  area. 

We  are  of  opinion  that  neither  reason  is  valid  or  sustained 
by  the  evidence. 

The  report  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Cochituate  Water  Board, 
of  Feb.  18,  1867,  shows  the  territory  of  Boston  to  be  as  fol¬ 
lows,  exclusive  of  streets  and  squares : 


In  Boston  proper,  of  land  improved,  630  acres  ;  unimproved,  340  acres. 


* 

East  Boston, 

u 

u 

170  acres  ; 

u 

1,033  acres. 

South  Boston, 

u 

u 

285  acres  ; 

u 

990  acres. 

Roxbury, 

u 

u 

684  acres  ; 

« 

1,800  acres. 

Total, 

u 

u 

1,769  acres  ; 

ii 

4,163  acres. 

Breed’s  Island,  of  720  acres,  is  not  included  in  this  estimate. 


The  author  of  the  Report,  Mr.  John  H.  Thorndike,  adds  the 
following  remarks : 

“  When  the  whole  territory  within  the  present  limits  of  Bos¬ 
ton  is  peopled  as  densely  as  the  portions  now  built  upon,  our 
population  will  amount  to  near  600,000. 

“The  present  population  of  Roxbury  is  said  to  be  about  30,000 
and  the  rate  of  increase  for  the  ten  years  from  1855  to  1865 
was  nearly  54  per  cent ;  and  upon  the  same  basis  that  Boston 
can  accommodate  600,000,  Roxbury  can  accommodate  400,000. 

“  Inasmuch,  therefore,  as  the  present  territory  of  Boston  can 

accommodate  1,000,000  people,  where  only  240,000  now  live, 
3 


34 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


there  is  certainly  still  room  for  her  population  of  all  classes 
within  the  city  limits.” 

This  statement  was  not  denied,  hut  it  was  urged,  in  reply,  that 
a  large  portion  of  this  unimproved  land  consists  of  flats,  unsuit¬ 
able  for  dwelling-houses.  By  examining  the  same  report,  how¬ 
ever,  it  will  be  found  that  quite  two-thirds  of  the  unoccupied 
land  in  Boston  is  upland,  and  well  adapted  for  dwelling-houses; 
and  were  it  not  so,  a  glance  at  the  Back  Bay  shows  that  made 
land  is  not  considered  wholly  unfit  for  habitation.  It  was  also 
shown,  in  the  course  of  the  hearing,  that  the  city  itself  is  the 
owner  of  a  large  tract  of  territory  in  South  Boston,  most  desir¬ 
able  for  dwelling-houses,  which  she  so  hampers  with  restrictions 
as  to  keep  it  from  the  reach  of  the  mechanic  and  middling 
classes. 

Nor  do  we  think  it  a  fact  that  the  middling  classes  are  leav¬ 
ing  the  city  more  than  the  rich  or  the  poor.  By  the  report  of 
the  auditor  of  the  City  of  Boston,  April  30,  1868,  page  202,  it 
appears  there  were,  May  1,  1867,  in  the  City  of  Boston,  before 
the  annexation  of  Roxbury,  19,516  dwelling-houses,  including 
hotels,  of  which  16,703  were  of  a  less  value  than  $10,000  each, 
which  was  assumed  by  the  counsel  who  appeared  for  the  city  to 
be  the  maximum  sum  which  a  man  of  the  middling  classes 
might  reasonably  invest  in  a  dwelling.  Of  these  14,867  were  of 
a  less  value  each  than  $7,000,  and  9,093  of  less  value  than  $4,000 
each.  The  whole  number  of  dwelling-houses,  including  hotels, 
in  the  city,  of  a  greater  value  each  than  $10,000,  was  4,649. 

The  influence  of  the  foreign  population  of  Boston  is  some¬ 
times  urged  as  a  reason  for  annexation.  But  reference  to  the 
census  of  1865  shows  that  the  annexation  of  Dorchester  would 
reduce  the  ratio  of  foreign  population  to  33T6S5^-  per  cent,  in¬ 
stead  of  34^05^  per  cent,  as  it  is  now,  a  reduction  too  trifling 
to  be  considered ;  and  the  percentage  of  foreign  population  in 
Dorchester  seems  to  us  likely  to  increase  quite  as  rapidly  as  in 
Boston  itself. 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


35 


Nor  do  we  think  the  density  of  the  population  of  the  present 
wards  of  Boston  would  be  rarified  by  the  annexation  of  Dor¬ 
chester.  People  live  there  to  be  near  their  business,  their 
friends,  their  amusements  (and  the  middling  classes  from  nec¬ 
essity  must),  and  they  will  continue  to  do  so  even  if  the  whole 
state  were  annexed,  as  one  witness  conceived  might  some  time 
be  proper. 

We  are  unable  to  perceive  how  the  commercial  prosperity  of 
Boston  will  be  enhanced  by  annexation  or  the  mere  increase  of 
population  or  territory,  since  by  the  evidence  both  of  the  peti¬ 
tioners  and  remonstrants  it  clearly  appeared  that  the  facilities 
for  commerce  in  Boston  are  now  greatly  in  advance  of  its  re¬ 
quirements.  Neither  the  commerce  nor  commercial  position 
of  Boston  will  be  improved  till  she  offers  a  better  and  cheaper 
market  to  the  buyer  than  other  cities,  or  until  she  furnishes 
cheaper  transportation  to  and  from  Europe  and  the  West  than 
through  other  ports,  and  we  cannot  conceive  how  annexation 
will  contribute  these  results. 

Nor  do  we  think  it  was  shown  that  annexation  would  benefit 
Dorchester.  Her  town  affairs  appear  to  be  well  managed.  Her 
roads  are  in  good  condition.  Her  schools  are  among  the  best 
in  the  Commonwealth,  and  we  failed  to  see  that  there  is  any¬ 
thing  in  her  local  affairs  which  cannot  be  as  well  provided  for 
by  the  town  as  by  Boston,  and  with  as  great  economy. 

The  debt  of  Dorchester  would  be  largely  increased  by  annex¬ 
ation.  Her  present  debt  is  $36,607.  Her  proportion  of  the 
aggregate  debt  of  Boston  and  Dorchester  would  be  $417,453. 
The  interest  on  her  present  debt  is  about  $2,928.  Her  propor¬ 
tion  of  the  aggregate  interest  would  be  $41,444.  These  esti¬ 
mates  were  admitted  by  the  counsel  for  the  petitioners  to  be 
substantially  correct. 

It  was  claimed  that  annexation  would  increase  the  price  of 
lands  in  Dorchester,  and  most  of  the  testimony  on  the  part  of 
the  petitioners  from  Dorchester  came  from  persons  having  large 
landed  interests  there.  If  this  be  so,  a  small  part  of  the  com- 


36 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


munity  would  be  benefited  at  the  expense  of  all  the  rest.  More¬ 
over,  any  rise  there,  if  hastened  by  legislation,  must  be  at  the 
expense  of  some  other  portion  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  cer¬ 
tainly  should  not  be  encouraged  by  those  who  seek  to  provide 
the  mechanics  of  Boston  with  cheap  homes. 

Whether  such  would  be  the  result  or  not  we  think  should 
have  no  effect  upon  the  legislature. 

The  effect  of  the  proposed  measure  upon  the  county  of  Nor¬ 
folk  is  also  worthy  of  consideration.  Roxbury  has  been  taken 
from  her,  with  a  population  of  28,426  and  a  valuation  of  $26,- 
551,000.  Take  Dorchester  with  a  population  of  10,717  and  a 
valuation  of  $15,326,300;  Brookline,  which  is  sure  to  follow  if 
this  step  be  taken,  wdth  a  population  of  5,262  and  a  valuation 
of  $14,870,700;  and  West  Roxbury,  with  a  population  of  6,912 
and  a  valuation  of  $10,302,600,  and  you  will  reduce  the  popula¬ 
tion  of  the  county  of  Norfolk  fifty-six  percent,  and  her  valuation 
sixty-two  per  cent,  while  her  county  expenditures,  except  for 
land  taken  for  new  highways  in  these  towns  will  remain  sub¬ 
stantially  the  same.  Such  a  dismemberment  of  an  ancient 
county  can  only  be  justified  by  the  pressure  of  urgent  necessity. 

The  counsel  for  the  City  of  Boston,  in  his  opening,  spoke  of 
this  step  as  one  to  be  followed  by  the  annexation  of  Brookline, 
West  Roxbury  and  Brighton,  to  Boston;  but  Charlestown  and 
Somerville  have  applied  for  annexation  at  this  very  session,  and 
it  is  apparent,  that  if  the  measure  now  before  us  is  carried,  the 
annexation  of  all  these  municipalities  and  also  of  Cambridge, 
Watertown,  Newton,  Malden,  Medford,  Chelsea,  North  Chelsea 
and  Winthrop,  will  be  persistently  urged  upon  succeeding  legis¬ 
latures,  and  there  is  scarcely  one  of  them  for  whose  annexation 
to  Boston  stronger  reasons  cannot  be  given  than  for  the  annex¬ 
ation  of  Dorchester,  and  this  step  will  be  urged  as  a  precedent 
in  their  cases  as  the  annexation  of  Roxbury  is  in  this.  The 
consummation  of  this  plan  will  combine  more  than  one-third  of 
the  population  and  more  than  one-half  of  the  assessed  wealth  of 
the  state  under  one  municipality,  and  make  the  State  House  and 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


37 


the  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  subordinate  in  dignity  and 
real  power  to  the  City  Hall  and  the  Mayor.  Already  the  dis¬ 
bursements  and  patronage  of  the  city  exceed  those  of  the  state. 
The  union  in  interest  of  her  senators  and  representatives  will 
enable  her  to  carry  any  measure  here  she  may  wish.  The 
treasury  of  the  Commonwealth  will  be  at  her  command,  or 
rather  at  the  command  of  the  knot  of  politicians  into  whose 
control  the  affairs  of  so  large  a  municipality  must  inevitably  fall. 

We  feel,  therefore,  that  in  view  of  the  results  which  must  fol¬ 
low  this  measure,  the  legislature  should  pause  and  determine 
deliberately  and  carefully  what  shall  be  the  policy  of  the  Com¬ 
monwealth  upon  this  subject  of  annexation,  and  we  most  respect¬ 
fully  suggest  that  a  commission  of  the  ablest  men  to  be  found  in 
the  Commonwealth,  free  from  private  interest  and  local  bias,  be 
appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court  to  sit  during  the  recess  of  the 
legislature,  with  power  to  send  for  persons  and  papers,  to  order 
surveys  and  estimates,  to  examine  into  the  relation  of  the  City  of 
Boston  to  the  suburbs,  and  report  thereon  to  the  legislature 
recommending  such  measure  or  measures  as  they  may  deem 
expedient. 

It  may  be  that  the  cities  and  towns  we  have  mentioned  are 
so  interwoven  that  they  should  be  united  in  one  municipality. 
It  may,  and  we  think  will  be  found,  upon  a  full  report  of  all  the 
facts,  either  that  no  legislation  at  all  is  required,  or  that  certain 
common  interests  can  be  cared  for  by  legislation  short  of  annex¬ 
ation.  Whatever  the  result  be,  the  legislature  would  possess  the 
information  necessary,  now  wanting,  to  enable  them  wisely  to 
form  a  definite  plan,  and  pursue  a  fixed  policy. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

JOSEPH  C.  RAY, 

Of  the  Senate. 

SAMUEL  D.  SAWIN, 

E.  FOSTER  BAILEY, 

Of  the  House. 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


In  the  Year  One  Thousand  Eight  Hundred  and  Sixty-nine. 

Chapter  349. 

AN  ACT 

To  unite  the  City  of  Boston  and  the  Town  of  Dorchester. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  in 
General  Court  assembled ,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  same ,  as 
follows : 

1  Sect.  1.  All  the  territory  now  comprised  within  the 

2  limits  of  the  town  of  Dorchester,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk, 

3  with  the  inhabitants  and  estates  therein,  is  hereby  annexed 

4  to  and  made  part  of  the  city  of  Boston,  in  the  county  of  Suf- 

5  folk,  and  shall  hereafter  constitute  a  part  of  the  county  of 

6  Suffolk,  subject  to  the  same  municipal  regulations,  obligations 

7  and  liabilities,  and  entitled  to  the  same  immunities  in  all  re- 

8  spects  as  the  said  city  of  Boston  :  provided ,  however,  that  until 

9  constitutionally  and  legally  changed,  said  territory  shall  con- 

10  tinue  to  be,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  members  of  the  house 

11  of  representatives,  part  of  the  county  of  Norfolk,  constitut- 

12  ing  the  fifth  representative  district  thereof;  for  the  purpose 

13  of  electing  a  senator,  part  of  the  second  Norfolk  senatorial 

14  district;  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  councillor,  part  of  the 

15  second  council  district;  and  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  rep- 

16  resentative  in  congress,  part  of  congressional  district  num- 

17  ber  two,  as  the  same  are  now  constituted. 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


39 


18  All  the  duties  now  required  by  law  to  be  performed  by 

19  the  selectmen  and  town  clerk  of  the  town  of  Dorchester,  or 

20  either  of  them,  pertaining  to  the  election  of  representatives  in 

21  congress,  state  councillor  senators  and  members  of  the  house 

22  of  representatives,  shall  in  like  manner  devolve  upon  and  be 

23  performed  by  the  board  of  aldermen  and  city  clerk  of  the 

24  city  of  Boston. 

25  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  ward  officers  of  the  ward 

26  erected  out  of  said  territory,  as  hereinafter  provided,  to  make 

27  return  of  all  votes  that  may  be  cast  therein,  from  time  to 

28  time,  for  representatives  in  congress,  state  councillors,  sena- 

29  tors,  members  of  the  house  of  representatives,  and  for  all 

30  other  national,  state,  district,  county,  municipal  and  ward 

31  officers,  to  the  city  clerk  of  the  city  of  Boston. 

* 

1  Sect.  2.  All  the  public  property  of  the  said  town  of 

2  Dorchester  shall  be  vested  in,  and  is  hereby  declared  to  be 

3  the  property  of  the  city  of  Boston ;  and  said  city  of  Boston 

4  shall  succeed  to  all  the  rights,  claims,  causes  of  action, 

5  rights  to  uncollected  taxes,  liens,  uses,  trusts,  duties,  privi- 

6  leges  and  immunities  of  said  town  of  Dorchester.  The  town 

7  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  shall,  on  or  before  the 

8  second  Monday  of  January,  in  the  year  eighteen 

9  hundred  and  seventy,  under  the  direction  of  the  select- 

10  men  of  said  town  of  Dorchester,  who  shall  for  this 

11  purpose,  and  for  all  other  purposes  necessary  to  carry  into 

12  full  effect  the  provisions  of  this  act,  continue  to  hold 

13  their  offices  over,  transfer,  deliver,  pay  over  and  account 

14  for  to  the  city  treasurer  of  the  city  of  Boston,  all  books, 

15  papers,  moneys  and  other  property  in  his  possession  as  town 

16  treasurer  of  said  town  of  Dorchester,  when  this  act  shall 

17  take  effect;  and  the  city  of  Boston  shall  become  liable  for 

18  and  subject  to  all  the  debts,  obligations,  duties,  responsibilities 

19  and  liabilities  of  said  town  of  Dorchester.  All  actions  and 


40 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


20  causes  of  action  which  may  be  pending,  or  which  shall  have 

21  accrued  at  the  time  this  act  shall  take  effect,  in  behalf  of  or 

22  against  the  town  of  Dorchester,  shall  survive,  and  may  be 

23  prosecuted  to  final  judgment  and  execution,  in  behalf  of  or 

24  against  the  city  of  Boston. 

1  Sect.  3.  The  several  courts  within  the  county  of  Suf- 

2  folk,  except  the  municipal  court  for  the  southern  district  of 

3  the  city  of  Boston,  after  this  act  shall  take  effect,  shall  have 

4  the  same  jurisdiction  over  all  causes  of  action  and  proceed- 

5  ings  in  civil  causes,  and  over  all  matters  in  probate  and  in- 

6  solvency,  which  shall  have  accrued  within  said  territory 

7  hereby  annexed,  that  said  courts  now  have  over  like  actions, 

8  proceedings  and  matters  within  the  county  of  Suffolk:  pro- 

9  vided,  however ,  that  the  several  courts  within  the  county  of 

10  Norfolk  shall  have  and  retain  jurisdiction  of  all  actions, 

11  proceedings  and  matters,  that  shall  have  been  rightfully 

12  commenced  in  said  courts  prior  to  the  time  when  this  act 

13  shall  take  effect;  and  the  supreme  judicial  court  and  the 

14  superior  court  within  the  county  of  Suffolk,  after  this  act 

15  shall  take  effect,  shall  have  the  same  jurisdiction  of  all 

16  crimes,  offences,  and  misdemeanors,  that  shall  have  been 

17  committed  within  the  said  territory,  that  the  supreme  judi- 

18  cial  court  and  superior  court  within  the  county  of  Norfolk 

19  now  have  jurisdiction  of:  provided  proceedings  shall  not 

20  have  been  already  commenced  in  any  of  the  courts  within 

21  the  county  of  Norfolk,  for  the  prosecution  of  said 

22  crimes,  offences,  and  misdemeanors ;  in  which  case,  the  said 

23  courts  within  the  county  of  Norfolk  shall  have  and  retain 

24  jurisdiction  of  the  same  for  the  full,  complete  and  final  dis- 

25  position  thereof.  All  suits,  actions,  proceedings,  complaints 

26  and  prosecutions,  and  all  matters  of  probate  and  insolvency 

27  which  shall  be  pending  within  said  territory,  before  any 

28  co  irt  or  justice  of  the  peace,  when  this  act  shall  take  effect, 


41 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 

29  shall  be  heard  and  determined  as  though  this  act  had  not 

30  passed. 

1  Sect.  4.  Said  territory  shall  be  added  to,  and  constitute 

2  a  part  of  the  judicial  district  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 

3  municipal  court  of  the  city  of  Boston.  Said  court  shall  have 

4  the  same  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction  in  said  territory  as 

5  it  now  has  by  law  in  its  district  as  it  now  exists. 

1  Sect.  5.  The  said  territory  shall  constitute  a  ward  of 

2  the  city  of  Boston,  to  be  called  ward  sixteen,  and  shall  so 

3  remain  until  the  alteration  of  the  ward  limits  of  the  city  of 

4  Boston,  provided  by  law.  And  the  ward  so  established 

5  shall  be  entitled  to  all  the  municipal  and  ward  officers  which 

6  each  of  the  other  wards  of  said  city  of  Boston  is  entitled  to. 

1  Sect.  6.  If  this  act  shall  be  accepted  as  hereinafter  pro- 

2  vided,  said  territory  shall,  after  the  second  day  of  November, 

3  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-nine,  constitute  a 

4  ward  of  the  city  of  Boston,  to  be  called  ward  sixteen,  for  all 

5  the  purposes  mentioned  in  this  section  and  in  section  seven  of 

6  this  act.  And  the  board  of  aldermen  of  said  city  of  Boston 

7  shall,  in  due  season,  issue  their  warrant  for  a  meeting  of  the 

8  legal  voters  of  said  ward,  to  be  held  on  the  second  Monday 

9  of  December,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-nine,  at 

10  some  place  within  said  ward,  which  shall  be  designated  in 

11  said  warrant,  there  first  to  choose  a  warden,  clerk,  and  five 

12  inspectors  of  elections  for  said  ward,  who  shall  hold  their 

13  offices  until  the  first  Monday  of  January,  in  the  year  eighteen 

14  hundred  and  seventy,  and  until  others  shall  be  chosen  and 

15  qualified  in  their  stead;  second,  to  give  in  their  ballots 

16  for  the  several  municipal  and  ward  officers  for  the  year 

17  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy,  for  which  they  shall 

18  be  entitled  to  vote  by  virtue  of  the  provisions  of  this 

19  act. 


42 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


20  The  voters  of  said  ward  shall  designate,  by  their  ballots 

21  cast  at  said  meeting,  the  term  of  service  for  which  each  of 

22  the  six  school  committee  men,  who  shall  be  chosen  in  said 

23  ward,  shall  serve,  so  that  two  of  the  number  so  chosen  shall 

24  serve  for  three  years,  two  for  two  years,  and  two  for  one 

25  year.  The  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Boston  shall 

26  prepare  lists  of  all  the  legal  voters  in  said  ward,  to  be  used 

27  at  said  meeting,  and  shall  do  all  other  things  which  they  are 

28  now  by  law  required  to  do  in  respect  to  like  elections  in 

29  other  wards  in  the  city  of  Boston ;  and  at  said  meeting  any 

30  legal  voter  of  said  ward  may  call  the  citizens  to  order,  and 

31  preside  until  a  warden  shall  have  been  chosen  and  qualified. 

32  All  ward  officers  whose  election  is  provided  for  in  the  pre- 

33  ceding  section,  shall  be  qualified  according  to  law.  The 

34  citizens  of  the  territory  by  this  act  aunexed  to  the  city  of 

35  Boston,  shall  have  the  same  right  to  vote  for  municipal  offi- 

36  cers,  at  the  annual  municipal  election  of  the  city  of  Boston, 

37  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-nine,  as  they  would 

38  have  had  if  said  territory  had  formed  part  of  the  city  of 

39  Boston  for  more  than  six  months  next  before  said  election. 

1  Sect.  7.  After  the  present  municipal  year  the  board  of 

2  aldermen  of  the  city  of  Boston  shall  consist  of  twelve  mem- 

3  bers,  and  the  common  council  of  the  city  of  Boston  shall  con- 

4  sist  of  sixty-four  members.  The  number  of  wards  of  said 

5  city,  including  the  ward  to  be  formed  out  of  the  territory 

6  hereby  annexed,  shall  be  sixteen. 

1  Sect.  8.  The  several  police  officers  and  watchmen  that 

2  may  be  in  office  in  the  town  of  Dorchester  when  this  act 

3  shall  take  effect  shall  thereafter  continue  in  the  discharge  of 

4  their  respective  duties,  in  the  same  manner  as  if  they  were 

5  police  officers  and  watchmen  of  the  city  of  Boston,  until 

6  others  shall  be  appointed  in  their  stead.  And  the  fire  engi- 

7  neers  and  firemen  of  the  town  of  Dorchester  shall  in  like 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


43 


8  manner  continue  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  as  if  they 

9  were  engineers  and  firemen  of  the  city  of  Boston,  till  others 
10  are  appointed  in  their  stead. 

1  Sect.  9.  All  the  interest  which  the  town  of  Dorchester 

2  now  lias  in  the  public  property  of  the  county  of  Norfolk,  is 

3  hereby  released  and  acquitted  to  said  county  of  Norfolk. 

4  Such  proportion  of  the  debts  and  obligations  of  the  county 

5  of  Norfolk  existing  when  this  act  shall  take  full  effect,  over 

6  and  above  the  value  of  all  the  property  belonging  to  said 

7  county  as  should  proportionally  and  equitably  be  paid  by 

8  the  inhabitants  and  property  owners  of  the  territory  by  this 

9  act  annexed  to  the  city  of  Boston,  shall  be  paid  by  said  city 

10  of  Boston  to  said  county  of  Norfolk;  and  the  supreme  judi- 

11  cial  court  shall  have  jurisdiction  in  equity  to  determine  the 

12  amount  of  such  proportion  (if  any),  and  enforce  the  payment 

13  of  the  same  upon  a  suit  of  equity,  in  the  name  of  said  county, 

14  to  be  brought  therefor  within  six  months  after  this  act  shall 

15  go  into  full  operation,  by  the  county  commissioners  of  said 

16  county  of  Norfolk,  if  they  shall  deem  such  suit  for  the 

17  interest  of  said  county;  but  no  such  suit  shall  be  insti- 

18  tuted  after  said  six  months. 

19  Nothing  contained  in  this  act  shall  impair  the  obligation 

20  of  contracts;  and  the  property  and  inhabitants  of  the  terri- 

21  tory  by  this  act  annexed  to  the  city  of  Boston  shall  continue 

22  liable  to  the  existing  creditors  of  the  county  of  Norfolk,  in 

23  like  manner  as  if  this  act  had  not  been  passed:  provided,  that 

24  if  any  person,  by  reason  of  his  being  an  inhabitant  of,  or 

25  owning  property  in,  said  territory,  shall  be  compelled  to  pay 

26  any  part  of  an  existing  debt  or  obligation  of  the  county  of 

27  Norfolk,  the  amount  of  such  payment  shall  constitute  a  debt 

28  to  him  from  said  county  as  hereafter  to  be  constituted,  ex- 

29  elusive  of  said  territory,  and  may  be  recovered  in  like  man- 

30  ner  as  other  debts  against  the  county  of  Norfolk. 


44  ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 

1  Sect.  10.  This  act  shall  not  take  full  effect  unless  ac- 

2  cepted  by  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  the  city  of  Bos- 

3  ton  present  and  voting  thereon  by  ballot  at  meetings  which 

4  shall  be  held  in  the  several  wards  of  said  city,  and  also  by 

5  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  the  town  of  Dorchester 

6  present  and  voting  thereon  by  ballot,  at  a  meeting  which 

7  shall  be  held  in  said  town.  All  said  meetings  shall  be  held 

8  simultaneously  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  June  of  the  pres- 

9  ent  year,  and  upon  notice  thereof  duly  given  at  least  seven 

10  days  before  the  time  of  said  meetings,  and  the  polls  shall  be 

11  opened  at  nine  o’clock  in  the  forenoon  of  said  day,  and  shall 

12  be  closed  at  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  In  case  of  the 

13  absence  of  any  ward  officer  at  any  ward  meeting  in  said 

14  city  held  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  or  of  any  of  the  select- 

15  men,  or  of  the  town  clerk  at  any  meeting  in  said  town  held 

16  for  said  purpose,  a  like  officer  may  be  chosen,  pro  tempore,  by 

17  hand  vote,  and  shall  be  duly  qualified  and  shall  have  all  the 

18  powers  and  be  subject  to  all  the  duties,  of  the  regular  officer 

19  at  said  meetings.  Said  ballots  shall  be  “yes  ”  or  “no”  in 

20  answer  to  the  question,  “  Shall  an  act  passed  by  the  legisla- 

21  ture  of  the  Commonwealth,  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred 

22  and  sixty-nine,  entitled  'an  act  to  unite  the  city  of  Boston 

23  and  the  town  of  Dorchester,’  be  accepted  ?  ”  Such  meeting 

24  in  the  town  of  Dorchester  shall  be  called,  notified  and 

25  warned  by  the  selectmen  of  said  town,  in  the  same  manner 

26  in  which  meetings  for  the  election  of  towTn  officers  in  said 

27  town  are  called,  notified  and  warned;  and  such  meetings  in 

28  the  city  of  Boston  shall  be  called,  notified  and  warned  by 

29  the  board  of  aldermen  of  said  city  in  the  same  manner  in 

30  which  meetings  for  the  election  of  municipal  officers  in  said 

31  city  are  called,  notified  and  warned. 

32  The  ballots  given  in  shall  be  assorted,  counted  and  de- 

33  dared  in  the  ward  meetings  in  which  they  are  given  in  in  the 

34  city  of  Boston,  in  open  ward  meeting,  and  shall  be  registered 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


45 


35  in  the  ward  records ;  and  in  the  town  of  Dorchester  the  ballots 

36  given  in  shall  be  assorted,  counted  and  declared  in  open 

37  town  meeting,  and  shall  be  recorded  upon  the  records  of  the 

38  town.  The  clerk  of  each  ward  in  the  city  of  Boston  shall 

39  make  return  of  all  ballots  given  in  his  ward,  and  the  number 

40  of  ballots  in  favor  of  the  acceptance  of  this  act,  and  thenum- 

41  ber  of  ballots  against  said  acceptance,  to  the  board  of  alder- 

42  men  of  the  city  of  Boston ;  said  returns  to  be  made  within 

43  forty-eight  hours  of  the  close  of  the  polls. 

44  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board  of  aldermen  of  the  city 

45  of  Boston  to  certify  as  soon  as  may  be  the  ballots  cast  in  the 

46  city  of  Boston,  and  the  number  of  ballots  cast  in  favor  of  the 

47  acceptance  of  this  act,  and  the  number  of  ballots  cast 

48  against  said  acceptance  in  said  city,  to  the  secretary  of  the 

49  Commonwealth. 

50  The  selectmen  and  town  clerk  of  the  town  of  Dorchester 

51  shall,  as  soon  as  may  be,  make  a  like  return  of  the  ballots 

52  cast  in  said  town,  and  the  number  of  ballots  cast  in  favor  of 

53  acceptance  of  this  act,  and  the  number  of  ballots  cast  against 

54  said  acceptance  in  said  town,  to  the  secretary  of  the  Coin- 

55  mon wealth. 

56  And  if  it  shall  appear  that  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast 

57  in  the  city  of  Boston,  and  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  in  the 

58  town  of  Dorchester,  respectively,  is  in  favor  of  the  accept- 

59  ance  of  this  act,  the  said  secretary  shall  immediately  issue 

60  and  publish  his  certificate  declaring  this  act  to  have  been 

61  duly  accepted. 

1  Sect.  11.  So  much  of  this  act  as  authorizes  and  directs 

2  the  submission  of  the  question  of  acceptance  of  this  act  to 

3  the  legal  voters  of  said  city  and  said  town,  respectively; 

4  provided  for  in  the  tenth  section  of  this  act,  shall  take  effect 

5  upon  its  passage. 

4 

1  Sect.  12.  If  this  act  shall  be  accepted  as  herein  pro- 

2  vided,  it  shall  take  effect  on  the  third  day  of  November,  in 


46 


ANNEXATION  OF  DORCHESTER. 


3  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-nine,  so  far  as  to  autlior- 

4  ize,  legalize  and  carry  into  effect  the  acts  and  provisions  of 

5  the  sixth  and  seventh  sections  of  this  act;  but  for  all  other 

6  purposes  (except  as  mentioned  in  section  eleven  of  this 

7  act),  it  shall  take  effect  on  the  first  Monday  of  January,  in 

8  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  seventy. 


1  Sect.  13.  If  any  election  or  balloting  upon  the  question 

2  of  the  acceptance  of  this  act,  by  either  said  city  or  said 

3  town,  shall  within  two  months  thereafter  be  declared  void 

4  by  the  supreme  judicial  court,  upon  summary  proceedings 

5  which  may  be  had  in  any  county  on  the  petition  of  fifty 

6  voters  of  either  said  city  or  said  town,  the  question  of  accept- 

7  ing  said  act  shall  be  again  submitted  to  the  legal  voters  of 

8  said  city  or  town,  and  a  meeting  therefor  shall  within  thirty 

9  days  thereafter  be  called,  held  and  conducted,  and  the  votes 

10  returned  and  other  proceedings  had  thereon,  in  like  manner 

11  as  hereinbefore  provided.  But  no  election  or  balloting  shall 

12  be  held  void  for  informality,  in  calling,  holding  or  conduct- 

13  ing  the  election,  or  returning  the  votes,  or  otherwise,  except 

14  upon  proceedings  instituted  therefor  and  determined  within 

15  sixty  days  thereafter,  as  aforesaid. 

House  of  Representatives,  May  3,  1869. 
Passed  to  be  enacted. 

HARVEY  JEWELL,  Speaker. 
In  Senate,  June  1,1869. 

Passed  to  be  enacted. 

ROB’T  C.  PITMAN,  President. 


Approved. 


June  4,  1869. 
WILLIAM  CLAFLIN. 


Secretary’s  Department,  Boston, 
June  4,  1869. 


A  true  copy. 

Attest : 

OLIVER  WARNER,  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth. 


3  0112 


98430660 


